Novel Turned Yuri – Chapter 87

Places that are suitable for being kissed

Silent as a cicada in late autumn.

Qiao Yu now truly understood the profound meaning of this word, because she was like a dying cicada in late autumn, unable to make a sound.

She quietly held onto the paper cup, taking small sips of the warm red tea, feeling shivery as if even her soul was about to be startled awake.

Ah, Lin Qing’s mood seemed really unpleasant.

After hanging up the phone, Lin Qing stood in silence for a moment, and then silently sat back in her seat. Twenty minutes had passed by now, during which not a single word was spoken.

Even someone as slow as Qiao Yu could sense that something major was wrong. After reflecting on herself for a long time, she finally mustered the courage to apologize.

“I… I spoke too hastily just now-“

“Don’t speak.”

Before she could finish her sentence, Qiao Yu received her second silent treatment of the night. She closed her mouth in frustration at Lin Qing’s unusually chilly tone.

The system, who had been neglected by her for so long, couldn’t bear to see this any longer and came out to advise, “…This time it really was the host’s fault, how could you say such things.”

“I know, I know, so didn’t I change my tune later on?”

“No, I just said the issue was with that change of tune you made earlier…”

The system’s tone was full of frustration. Just as it was about to give Qiao Yu a harsh lecture on “how to deal with a girl’s words not matching her intentions,” Lin Qing unexpectedly spoke up.

“Just now, before you answered the phone, it seems like you still haven’t addressed my question.”

“Huh?”

Qiao Yu widened her eyes, took a moment to remember what question Lin Qing was referring to, hesitated for a bit, but seeing Lin Qing break the silence for once, now was not the time to beat around the bush.

“However, that answer seems unimportant now, I already know how you will handle it.”

Before she could say anything, Qiao Yu was cut off by Lin Qing’s indifferent voice. She anxiously looked at her, but Lin Qing showed no intention of meeting her gaze, as if suddenly becoming very interested in the paper cup, focusing intently on it.

Was it Qiao Yu’s imagination, or did it feel like the distance between her and Lin Qing had increased again? The atmosphere that had eased a bit after their intimate moment now turned cold and perhaps even worse.

Nervously, Qiao Yu looked at Lin Qing, and heard her speak with a hint of sarcasm.

“It’s actually quite a matter of course, there’s really nothing to question.”

“After all, since I haven’t been able to forget about you, I have already become your… ex-girlfriend.”

The word ‘ex’ was emphasized heavily, causing Qiao Yu to sense a hint of bitterness in Lin Qing’s tone.

“Especially when I manage to forget about you completely, that’s when… you’ll see, won’t you, Qiao Yu?”

What ‘won’t you see’? If Qiao Yu could still say “I see,” then she would truly be foolish.

Qiao Yu’s back was covered in cold sweat as she looked at Lin Qing, who, despite her smiling face, gave off a chilling vibe of an impending winter. In hindsight, Qiao Yu finally understood the hidden meaning.

“Huh? Lin Qing, are you angry for me saying you are my ex-girlfriend?”

“…”

The system closed its eyes in despair, making a resolution to remind the host daily about the dangers of drinking, both for others and themselves.

As expected, Lin Qing, upon hearing these words, blushed and paled, speechless and silent for a while. Eventually, she slammed the paper cup on the table, before finally showing a kind smile to Qiao Yu.

“Do I look like I’m angry?”

“…”

Seriously, doesn’t it look like it? If this isn’t what being angry looks like, then what does it? Both hues of red and white of the face, isn’t that a sign of anger?

But would Qiao Yu dare to say such a thing? Clearly not. So, she could only earnestly look at Lin Qing, let out a hesitant “uh,” drawing out the end of the word, trying to create the illusion of not confirming but pondering.

Actually, when Lin Qing focused her retort on whether she was angry or not instead of caring about being called an ex-girlfriend, Qiao Yu felt that the answer to her question was already clear.

Seeing Lin Qing’s smile about to falter, Qiao Yu finally acted a bit smarter this time by preemptively explaining her foolish behavior: “I said that just now because I thought you were angry with me for referring to you as my girlfriend…”

“No need to explain, I’m not that concerned about it.”

Wasn’t it a bit late to realize this now?

Apparently, Lin Qing also caught on to this, as she pressed her lips together pensively after speaking, then stood up abruptly.

“I’m going back.”

Without a word, Lin Qing swiftly dropped the remark and hurried out, fearing Qiao Yu might stop her. She walked so fast that she didn’t give Qiao Yu a chance to react, quickly exiting the fast-food restaurant.

Qiao Yu only managed to let out a brief “Huh,” and when the door closed, she hurriedly stood up in confusion. Just as she was about to follow, a sudden screech of brakes outside made her look around in bewilderment.

Well, well, well, the few tables nearby were all eagerly watching her.

Seeing her gaze, the shy ones casually lowered their heads as if dining, while the more daring ones smiled and made eye contact with her. Some even appeared anxious, pointing outside and gesturing for her to follow.

— Catch up with her!

“…”

It seems the attention was drawn by their uncontrolled conversation volume earlier. After all, hot terms like “ex-girlfriend” were thrown around, and with two girls involved, it was hard not to attract attention.

Qiao Yu couldn’t help but laugh wryly, secretly thinking that next time she talked with Lin Qing, they should find a place where they could be alone.

But now was a race against time, with no time to dwell on those thoughts. Qiao Yu hastily threw the paper cups into the trash bin – even though the system was screaming in her mind at this point, bothering the staff to clean up wouldn’t be a big deal – then turned around to chase after Lin Qing. Just as she reached the door, it suddenly swung open, startling her, and she instinctively stepped aside.

“…Having a change of heart about this place, or haven’t had enough of the tea yet?”

The one who pushed the door open was Lin Qing who should have alread left. Despite stubbornly avoiding eye contact with Qiao Yu, just seeing Qiao Yu looking back at her with soft smiles made her unable to help but reveal a gentle smile.

After understanding it – or rather, with the combined influence of the system’s teachings and Lin Qing’s awkward behavior – Qiao Yu felt that every move of Lin Qing was predictable. Even her blatant intentional coldness seemed adorable to Qiao Yu.

“Stop smiling.”

Being looked at by Qiao Yu with a smile, Lin Qing felt like she was going to burst into flames, gritted her teeth and said.

“Don’t get me wrong, I just felt it was unsafe to leave a drunk like you there alone. I was worried you wouldn’t find your way home, that’s why I came back to look for you.”

“After all, you even mentioned my name to Uncle Qiao, if his daughter goes missing, won’t they come looking for me?”

“And this time I went out without my phone. For the convenience of getting a taxi, it had to be you – are you listening to me?”

After speaking for a while, only seeing Qiao Yu nodding earnestly, her face losing its smile, but her eyes seemed to provoke anger.

“I said stop smiling!” The words escaped Lin Qing’s lips, feeling hollow, as if more empty than filled with anger and resentment.

“I wasn’t smiling, was I?”

Qiao Yu blinked innocently at her, her eyes were indeed smiling – but if she were to say that out loud, it would just sound too unreasonable and provocative. Lin Qing angrily bit her lip, turned her head away, refusing to continue the conversation.

“Did you come out tonight without your phone, Qingqing?”

Even though she didn’t get a response, Qiao Yu’s mood seemed to rapidly lift. She appeared quite happy as she leaned in towards Lin Qing, who warned her with her eyes and took a small step back in a pretentious manner, but the distance she retreated was definitely not as much as she seemed to intend.

“Yeah, what’s it to you?”

Of course, it had something to do with her. Not bringing her phone was simply a way to prevent herself from seeing any messages from Cong Ye and the others that could break her resolve, ultimately aimed at keeping her anger lasting longer.

Lin Qing has always known she’s somewhat incompetent in front of Qiao Yu. But right now, she definitely wouldn’t say that out loud.

Upon hearing this, the smile in Qiao Yu’s eyes deepened, she shook her head without speaking.

“…And, stop calling me by that name.”

Noticing this problem a beat too late, Lin Qing, accustomed to human adaptability, irritatingly threw out a cold statement.

“We’re not that kind of relationship.”

“What kind of relationship?”

She knew exactly what she was doing!

Still irked by being referred to as “ex-girlfriend” earlier, Lin Qing chuckled instead of getting angry, thinking to defeat magic with magic, just like Qiao Yu, she spoke frankly.

“Only my family and lovers can call me that way.”

“Ex-girlfriends should stay out of this mess, right?”

Before Qiao Yu could react, Lin Qing was already struck by her own words. Her brows furrowed deeply, feeling a bit irritated as she fidgeted with her hair, saying, “Let’s hurry and get a cab, it’s getting late now—”

“Qingqing.”

Seemingly not listening at all, for the first time tonight, Qiao Yu didn’t obediently follow suit. Instead, she walked up to Lin Qing, took her wrist in her hand.

“The answer to your question, I will tell you now.”

Forced to stop in her tracks, Lin Qing tried to shake her hand off twice but failed. She clenched her lips in anger, but when she met those calm and gentle eyes, she subconsciously looked away. Her heart began to beat uncontrollably, no matter how she scolded herself internally, she couldn’t stop it from racing.

“I have thought about it before making changes in the novel, about how to face the you who has forgotten me when I can come back.”

“The answer is quite simple.”

“If by then you have a new lover, then I will offer my blessings to you.”

“If you are still single… I will pursue you.”

Lin Qing dared not look at Qiao Yu to see her current expression. Gritting her teeth, she turned her head away, whispering softly, “…self-righteous.”

“Well, that’s always been my flaw.” Admitting it candidly, Qiao Yu’s self-deprecating tone carried a hint of resignation. “Just now, without meaning to question Qingqing, I called you my ex-girlfriend… and made you angry, it’s my fault. I—”

“—Qiao Yu, words spoken cannot be taken back.”

Before she could say something that would undoubtedly shake herself, Lin Qing suddenly lifted her head, suppressing the trembling in her voice.

“I have not… forgiven you yet.”

Reiterating once again, Lin Qing spoke slowly, as if to leave a mark in both of their hearts, while also trying to steady her own inconsistent heart.

Tonight, Qiao Yu drank some alcohol, and many things were not suitable to be asked of her in this state. There was a sense of taking advantage of someone’s vulnerability.

Lin Qing still had a lot of questions to ask, she knew deep down that the thorn had not been completely removed, and it was not the right time to indulge in sweet romance.

However, to her surprise, even after hearing such a straightforward rejection, Qiao Yu did not show any signs of sadness. She simply nodded quietly, closed her eyes slightly, remained silent for a while, then spoke.

“…So, considering the current situation as me pursuing you, is that acceptable?”

“…”

Turning disadvantage into advantage.

Speechless, Lin Qing stared at her with her amber eyes shining under the neon lights outside. She suddenly wasn’t sure if Qiao Yu was still intoxicated.

But she had to be a bit stubborn. Lin Qing couldn’t accept that she had allowed Qiao Yu to take the lead like this. In a tit-for-tat manner, she retorted, “Are you so sure that I am still single?”

It was a very poorly executed counterattack, evident from the fact that Qiao Yu’s expression remained unshaken and she even smiled, slowly leaning in towards Lin Qing’s ear.

The distance was far less than safe, and the alarm bells in Lin Qing’s mind were frantically warning her.

“… ! Hey—”

“Because, Qingqing, your kissing skills just now were quite poor.”

Lin Qing’s attempt to push Qiao Yu away was immediately halted by this remark. She could almost feel her face heating up rapidly, creating a stark temperature difference with the September night breeze.

This momentary pause gave Qiao Yu an opportunity. Her other hand, which was free, gently encircled Lin Qing’s waist. It was only then that Lin Qing noticed they had somehow walked to a less crowded corner, though occasional passersby were still present. Feeling a sense of restraint, Lin Qing blushed in embarrassment, bit her lip, and tried to push Qiao Yu’s shoulder away.

“What nonsense are you talking about? You’re just the same!”

“Well, of course, because I’ve only had experience with Qingqing.”

Rebuked so matter-of-factly, Lin Qing finally realized she couldn’t keep circling around this topic. She resorted to silence and exerted more force to push Qiao Yu away, but when Qiao Yu showed no reaction, she lifted her eyes to glare angrily.

However, Qiao Yu remained unfazed, calmly meeting her gaze, with a somewhat dazed expression, surpassing her previous boldness with the words she uttered.

“…One more time, is it not possible?”

The distance between the two had unknowingly shortened to a dangerously close extent. Whether intentional or not, Qiao Yu was encroaching on Lin Qing’s defensive boundaries, gradually eroding the carefully maintained sense of distance between them.

Lin Qing’s heart was in turmoil, wanting to escape the proximity where Qiao Yu could touch her, but her body selfishly longed for the warmth of this moment. She felt joy in the ambiguous words coming from Qiao Yu’s mouth, urging her owner to give that person permission more quickly.

“Of course not…!”

Thankfully, Lin Qing still held a glimmer of clarity. It took all her strength to slightly turn her head away from responding to Qiao Yu. It was as if reason and emotions were engaged in a tug-of-war, each second agonizingly tormenting. Vague thoughts that she couldn’t articulate began to emerge in her mind.

At such a close distance, if Qiao Yu wanted to kiss her, she… would not be able to avoid it, right?

As if finding an excuse, the strength seemed to drain from her body at this moment. Her raised hand softly rested on Qiao Yu’s shoulder, more like an invitation than resistance.

“…Mm, I understand.”

But Qiao Yu’s actions always caught her off guard.

With the casual abandonment of those words, the shame that had just been suppressed surged in Lin Qing’s heart, compelling her to turn her head to hold Qiao Yu accountable—

The next moment, she saw Qiao Yu bowing her head, feeling a soft touch above her collarbone.

There was something wet and smooth, gently exhaled between her lips, wickedly teasing with a light touch.

“—!”

Lin Qing subconsciously tensed her body, barely suppressing the sound in her throat. Before she could exert any force, Qiao Yu retreated willingly.

Only then did she react, hastily covering the area, feeling an uncontrollable tingling sensation spreading from there to her whole body, making her feel both embarrassed and angry, her voice trembling.

“Qiao Yu, don’t push it too far!”

“Sorry, I couldn’t resist a moment ago.”

The person being scolded sincerely lowered her head, showing a very apologetic attitude, with a light of understanding in her eyes.

“But that mole, from the moment I saw it, I was thinking—”

“It’s a very suitable place to be kissed—something like that.”

Ah, this person is definitely still drunk.

With this thought in mind, Lin Qing was the first to yield, turning her gaze away, pretending as if nothing had happened, and forcibly taking a step forward.

As for Qiao Yu, who would wake up the next day with a hangover and self-loathing due to her brash behavior, that would be a story for another day.

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